


Losing the Retreat, and Everything That Follows

by momogsanders



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Gen, might include the other bellas?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 18:39:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15249555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momogsanders/pseuds/momogsanders
Summary: After having problems financing the retreat she runs, Aubrey is forced to move in with a friend.





	Losing the Retreat, and Everything That Follows

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Pitch Perfect fic. Wow. And it's not even a Bechloe-centric fic. Anyway, we need more Staubrey in our lives. I hope you enjoy! <3

Aubrey almost spat out her green tea when she read the amount. Then she voiced her only thought: "HOW MUCH?"

She picked up her phone and called her father, who had been funding the camp, to see why it was suddenly in debt. "Hi Daddy! Um -"

"Aubrey, my dear! I'm so sorry I didn't tell you but by now you should have gotten a letter about your retreat owing the bank a rather large amount of money. Don't fret -"

Aubrey never cut off her father, but she had to get straight to the point. "I thought everything was fine! What happened, Dad?"

"I've had some financial mix-ups lately, and it appears your brother's hospital visit -"

"WHAT hospital visit?" Aubrey demanded. Why was it that just because she lived out in the country most of the year, she was kept in the dark about everything?

"He had an accident on the way to that meeting in New Jersey, remember? Never mind, the problem is that the bank essentially made me choose where I would put my money - into the hospital bills or your retreat, and since your brother was in such need -"

"Not that I'm not sympahetic, Dad, but John can pay his own bills! He's a full-grown man!"

"Aubrey -"

"And what am I meant to do now, Dad? I can't afford this, the retreat is my only job! We barely get enough income from visitors to be able to cover the spa staff!" Aubrey knew she must have come off as spoilt, but she was panicking so much she didn't know how else to take it.

Her father's tone had taken a drastic change. "Aubrey. You're just going to have to wait a little while for my pay. I already gave the money to the hospital. Just... go live with one of your college friends or something." Ah. Aubrey hadn't even thought of where she would stay while this was happening. Aubrey stayed silent.

"I've got to go, now, my dear. Speak to you soon." With that, her father hung up and Aubrey was left to think of a way to tell her fifteen staff that they would be closing.

 

"Bree, what's going on?" Chloe chimed over the phone.

"Chloe! I've got a big problem! My Dad can't fund the retreat right now anymore because John went to hospital and I had to close it and now I don't have a job or a way to get supplies into the camp and it's almost the end of the month so we're running low on food anyway and I don't know what -"

"Aubrey!" Chloe interrupted. "Calm down. We'll figure it out."

"What do I do, Chloe?"

"Well, uh... I was going to say you could stay with us," Chloe said unpleasantly, "but our apartment is kind of full right now, with Amy staying for her comedy tour."

"Oh - yeah, okay," Aubrey said, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"But... hey! Stacie and Bella have that whole house now! Maybe you could, uh, muscle your way in there! I heard they've got under-floor heating, and a spa tub..." Chloe kept rambling about their flamboyant friend's luxurious life. Stacie Conrad and her daughter Bella lived in a two-storey house, which Stacie paid for with earnings from an engineering company she had a high position in. Aubrey wasn't surprised she was so successful - Stacie, however badly she was thought of by others, had quite the brain.

"You're right, Chloe!" Aubrey exclaimed. "But... I don't want to seem rude..."

"I'll ask! Don't worry, Bree, I'm sure they'll let you squeeze in," Chloe assured her. "Oh - Beca, come say hi to Aubrey!"

"Hiya Aubrey," she heard Beca say from somewhere on the other side.

"Hey Beca, how have you been?"

"Ah, good, good - hey, long time no see, when are you coming to New York again?" Beca asked.

"I'm not sure, but once I figure this whole business out we'll sort something out, okay?"

"Yeah, cool," Beca said nonchalantly.

"Alright, Bree, I'll make a call to Stacie now, 'kay?" If she agrees - _when_ she agrees - I'll have her text you, alright?" Chloe said. Aubrey couldn't believe this was happening.

"Okay, Chlo. Thank you so much."

"It's perfectly fine, Aubrey! Love you!"

"Love you too, Chloe. Bye."

Aubrey put down the phone and leaned back in her chair in the living room of her lodging. The fire in front of her had begun to die down, she had been sitting there so long, trying to figure out what she was going to do. Now she just sat back and let it warm her toes. Until her phone dinged.

_Stacie Conrad: hi aubrey! chloe just called me saying you needed a place to crash. i'm at your service!_

Aubrey smiled widely. She really couldn't believe it.

_You: OMG Stacie! Thank you so much!!_  
_Stacie Conrad: it's totally fine bree. i'd do it for any of my bellas :)_  
_You: So when should I come?_

Stacie took a moment to reply. Aubrey was extremely thankful for this - she and Stacie weren't as close as, say, she and Chloe were, or Chloe and Beca were, but Aubrey felt like they had a good connection and Aubrey respected her. Partly because, despite Stacie's sexual drive, she had been able to keep out of the pants of those rude, cocky, charming Treblemakers. Aubrey kind of understood how hard that was.

_Stacie Conrad: hey sorry! i was just checking my calendar and you can come whenever you like! it's just me and baby bells as always so we can definitely fit you in as long as you need_

 

Aubrey scanned the airport for a familiar face. She was just wondering how big Bella Conrad must have gotten, when she heard her name being called out by a small voice. She turned to the exit of Baggage Claim and recognised Stacie and little Bella running towards her. Aubrey barely had time to put her collected bags down before she was almost bowled over by them.

"I can't believe you're here!" Stacie squealed. "Oh my God, look at you, you hottie!"

Aubrey laughed. "Thank you so much, Stacie. Really, I don't know what I'd have done without you."

Stacie's grin turned into a softer smile Aubrey didn't think she had ever seen on the other woman's face before, in the seven-or-so years she'd known her. Aubrey snapped out of her thoughts and turned back to the conveyor belt, spotting her bag trundling along. When she got back, Stacie had taken up her smaller suitcase and they walked out of the airport together, Bella between them holding a hand each, practically swinging from them. Stacie lifted Aubrey's bags into the back of her small Ford. Aubrey watched from the passenger seat as she strapped Bella in, the little brunette grinning at her eagerly.

Stacie and Aubrey updated each other on their lives as they rode back to Stacie's suburban house. Aubrey told Stacie the details of what had happened to the retreat, and Stacie filled her in on her engineering job, and how she would be co-planning a skyscraper in two months. Aubrey told her how happy she was for her, and almost dismissed the pang of sadness for her own employment situation.

"Here we are!" Stacie said as she switched off the car.

"Here we are!" Bella echoed.

"Wow, this is... really nice, Stacie," Aubrey said, looking up at the modest but somehow elegant house.

Stacie chuckled lightly as she helped Aubrey get her things out of the car and through the front door. Aubrey marveled again at the inside of the house. "Whoa, this is, like, my dream home, Stacie! How on Earth did you manage this?"

"Manager of a company comes with its perks," Stacie replied.

Bella ran deeper into the house. Stacie guided her upstairs to a guest bedroom and said she'd be downstairs, leaving Aubrey to get her clothes sorted out in the wardrobe. The room had a wide window looking out over a decently sized garden with green grass and a swing set. The sheets of the bed were a comfortable grey and there was a nice wooden desk opposite, which had incense of what Aubrey guessed was vanilla and something sweeter. Aubrey loved it.

Aubrey took her shoes off and changed into a cozy sweater before going downstairs to the kitchen. Stacie was giving Bella a snack of carrot sticks and hummus. She was amazed at Stacie's fluidity in it all - how she knew just what Bella wanted and would get it for her easily. Aubrey found herself just standing in the doorway, again daydreaming.

"You look settled," Stacie said. "Want to help me make brownies?"

 

"God, these are so good," Aubrey said before popping another piece of brownie into her mouth. She and Stacie sat on the sofa in front of the heater in Stacie's living room. Bella had gone to bed, allowing for a glass of wine or two before Aubrey felt sure she would doze off. It had been a full day.

Stacie hummed. "Sadly we have to leave some for Bella."

"Aw," Aubrey complained.

"We can always make more," Stacie said with a smile.

"Yeah, and you have to send me the recipe so I can make them back at the lodge." At this, Stacie's smile seemed to fade.

"What got you, of all people, into a spa retreat?" Stacie asked.

"Well, I didn't really plan it, but my dad said he'd fund a retreat, which is kind of what I had wanted to do. But then, the spa place we started to run there got way more business, so it kind of unofficially turned into that. Not really what I wanted," Aubrey said, "but it was okay. Like, I wanted to be a sort of camp-style retreat leader, like I was when you guys came to visit but like, actually running the place. It's really putting my _law_ degree to good use, huh."

Stacie hummed again. "I think that job really suited you. You were a good leader back in Barden."

Aubrey looked at Stacie gratefully. She didn't know what came over her, but suddenly her eyes stung and her throat constricted. Stacie noticed immediately, and moved closer on the couch to pull Aubrey into her. Aubrey choked out a sob into Stacie's soft wool jumper. She hooked her fists around the front of it, clinging for comfort. Stacie rubbed her back slowly. Aubrey felt kind of embarrassed.

Stacie murmured into Aubrey's hair, "It's okay, it's alright, shh. You're okay."

Aubrey thought she felt Stacie press a kiss to her head, but she was too focused on how the smell of Stacie's jumper calmed her down and soothed her aching throat.

 

Aubrey woke to a warm ray of sun hitting the side of her face through the blinds. She was so warm. This bed was so soft and snuggly and so was the body next to her -

What?

Aubrey opened her eyes as she felt Stacie nuzzle into the side of her head with her nose sleepily. She could feel Stacie's slow breaths against her ear. She could feel Stacie's arm across her stomach. They hadn't done anything, had they?

No, Aubrey remembered with a sigh what had happened. When she had broken down, Stacie held her for a few minutes before taking her upstairs, saying she'd had a long day and she was probably very tired. Aubrey just hadn't wanted to let go of her. Of her warm, soft woolen sweater and the smell of her and how it comforted her. Made all the stress seem like nothing. She had made the right choice in letting Chloe call Stacie Conrad, because Stacie seemed to know just what to do.

Aubrey used her free left hand to grasp her shirt. Yes, she had changed into pyjamas. Then she wondered where her other hand was. She moved the fingers of her right hand and found that they were intertwined with Stacie's left, insulated between their bodies. She felt her cheeks heat up as Stacie's hand tightened for a moment.

"Hey Bree," she said drowsily. Aubrey thought it was... adorable.

"Hello," Aubrey said lightly, though her voice was thick with sleep. She smiled and closed her eyes again. Stacie curled up so that her face was now buried in Aubrey's neck, and one leg was draped over both of Aubrey's. She brought their tangled hands up to rest on Aubrey's stomach. Aubrey was amazed at how natural Stacie was acting; meanwhile, Aubrey was trying to sort all of the thoughts she was having into some coherent explanation for what she was feeling. She was loving this, that was for sure.

After a few minutes, Stacie suddenly changed positions. She lay on her side, facing Aubrey with her head back on the plump pillows, smiling pleasantly at her. Aubrey rolled onto her side as well, pulling the covers up so they were both well encapsulated. Aubrey realised, "I haven't slept in a bed with anyone for about a year."

"I feel proud to have been the one to break that streak," Stacie joked. Or was she joking?

 

Stacie kept looking over to check on her during breakfast, between serving pancakes and helping Bella eat hers mini ones as quickly as she could before school. "Bree, can you keep an eye on this one while I call up work?"

Aubrey wasn't sure if she meant Bella or the pancake cooking in the pan at the moment, but she stood up and supervised both. After about a minute, Stacie came back in looking pleased with herself. "I'm taking today and tomorrow off work."

"What?" Aubrey said. "You -"

"No, no, Bree, I want to. I gotta spend time with you! And," Stacie added, squeezing Bella's shoulder, "We can have burritos tonight."

Bella lit up at that. Then Stacie said, "But only if Bella eats her pancakes as quickly as she can!" and at that, Bella began gobbling up her food and drinking her orange juice like a monster.

"Don't get a stomach ache, Bella," Aubrey warned.

Stacie seemed to smile at that, and Aubrey wondered what she might be thinking.

"Done, Mama," Bella said, looking up at Stacie. Aubrey noticed how alike they were - not just in their peaceful light blue eyes or their same pointy noses, but in the way they held themselves, the slight restful drawl in their speech, the way they smiled with a crook of mischief in the corner of their lips, like they could be tricking you at any moment.

"Bree," Stacie said. Aubrey snapped out of yet another daze and looked at her friend. "Do you want to come drop Bella off at school?"

"Definitely."

 

"Are you okay, Aubrey?"

Stacie was glanced at her as she unlocked the front door. Aubrey had said barely anything since they got in the car to drop Bella off at school. Her mind was full - filled with thoughts of the retreat, of her family, and most of all, Stacie. Once again, she had no clue how to organise these thoughts, or how to perceive them.

Aubrey realised she hadn't replied to Stacie's question, and nodded hesitantly, looking at her. She knew Stacie could see she wasn't right.

"You've been daydreaming all morning, Bree," Stacie said, her brows furrowed as she closed the door behind them. Aubrey could feel the tears coming on. _Not again,_ she thought. She didn't want to cry in front of Stacie again like some sort of... weakling.

"Hey, Bree," Stacie cooed as she placed her hands firmly on Aubrey's cheeks, tilting her head up gently so she could look into her eyes.

"I just... I don't know - what to do," Aubrey stuttered. Stacie wrapped her arms around her tightly. Aubrey loved the pressure. It felt like the only thing holding her together.

"It's going to be alright," Stacie whispered into her hair, and Aubrey knew for sure that Stacie kissed the side of her head softly, lingering. "I've got you."

At those words, Aubrey couldn't keep it in anymore. She felt even worse than the night before, somehow. Felt unsure, felt stupid, felt frustrated. And Stacie was there, and Aubrey knew she was the only one she had, and she was so thankful. So she let herself, just this once, be taken care of.

Stacie swayed them the slightest bit, stroking Aubrey's hair while Aubrey clung to the back of her shirt. "Do you want to take a nap... with me?"

Aubrey opened her eyes slightly and breathed in the sweet scent of Stacie's hair. She nodded into her shoulder and after another moment Stacie pulled away only enough to link her arm with Aubrey's and take her upstairs. They took off their shoes and got back into Stacie's big bed, Stacie sliding in first and letting Aubrey snuggle into her, almost lying on top of her. Aubrey lay her head on Stacie's chest. The room was dim enough that Aubrey could close her eyes comfortably, so she easily drifted off again. Her last thought was that, given the opportunity, she'd lay in this bed with Stacie holding her forever.

 

Stacie woke to a warm sensation on her chest. She could, of course, remember everything vividly, and reveled in the fact that Aubrey Posen was cuddled up with her in her bed. She would have liked it to have been under happier circumstances, but she let herself have it for now. Aubrey seemed to never open up to people back in college. She was glad the woman felt it safe enough to come out of her shell a bit around Stacie.

Her phone buzzed. She had woken before her alarm, as usual, and felt Aubrey stir a bit from the noise coming from the phone on the nightstand.

Aubrey hummed shortly and hoarsely. "I have to stop crying in front of you."

"What? I'm your friend, Aubrey," Stacie said, wincing slightly at the word. "You should feel okay to do that if you need to."

Aubrey let out a breath, her head still resting on Stacie's chest. "What time is it?"

Stacie reached for her phone. "Shi - fu - damn it!" she stammered, bolting upright.

Aubrey seemed to know what she was on about, thankfully, and was now wide awake as well. Stacie looked at her with a grimace. "Can you find the burrito recipe in the purple cookbook while I get Bella?"

"Yeah."

Stacie thanked her before running downstairs to get her things. She raced to the school with one minute to spare before the bell. "Hey Bells!"

Bella was being walked over by an unfamiliar, older girl. "Hi Ms Conrad! I'm Taylor!"

"Hello, Taylor," Stacie said, recognising the name. "You must be Bella's buddy."

"Yep!" the girls said in unison. Bella let Stacie take her bag.

"Bella's told me a lot about you," Stacie explained. "Thanks for being such a role model."

"That's okay!" Taylor said with a shy grin. "See you tomorrow Bella."

With that, Taylor skipped off. Stacie looked down at her daughter. "You know Mama was almost late today?"

 

"We're home!"

"Smells yummy," Bella muttered.

"That's the burritos," Stacie told her, helping her take her jacket off. 

Bella squealed and ran into the kitchen with barely both arms out of her little coat. Stacie followed her, and smiled at Aubrey who stood at the stove. At this point, Stacie was feeling courageous. Bella had moved on once again and was running back into the living room where her toys were, so Stacie approached Aubrey from behind and put her chin on Aubrey's shoulder. She thought she heard a tiny chuckle from the woman.

"Thank you," Stacie whispered into her ear, and then walked away to the plate cupboard pretending not to be slightly flustered by Aubrey's appearance. Those shorts were really... showing off her legs. But Stacie made like she didn't notice. She hoped she wasn't blushing.

Soon the burritos were assembled. Both Stacie and Aubrey helped Bella to construct hers, which Stacie called a "wuss burrito" because it had only meat, cheese and lettuce. Even the lettuce was not Bella's choice - Stacie insisted she have at least one green in her cheesy-meat pile. Bella's little hands couldn't hold the tortilla together for long, so Aubrey cut the burrito up for her. Stacie watched this with what she definitely _wouldn't_ call adoration. Nah.

Stacie persuaded Bella to have a bath after the three of them made a joint effort at cleaning up, which Aubrey took charge of. After Bella was "squeaky clean", as she put it, Stacie let her play for a while before putting her to bed. And then it was she and Aubrey once again.

"I'm not going to cry this time," Aubrey said. Stacie thought she seemed to be telling herself that more than anyone else.

"You can cry if you want to."

"I don't... think I need to." Aubrey looked at Stacie with a sort of blank smile.

"That's good?"

"I just - maybe I'm over the retreat." Aubrey looked at the carpet. "Maybe I'm over the dream too. And that's kind of big."

"Well," Stacie began, "I think you can and should do anything you want to. You shouldn't have to depend on your family. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but - you always seemed so exhausted whenever we had a Bellas Reunion and I just think that you should do something you can build for yourself. And I know that you can do that because you're Aubrey."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes with a small smile at Stacie, who continued, "I just mean, you were the leader of the Bellas, and you got a degree in law, and you're real - real smart."

Stacie internally cringed at her rambling. But when she looked back up at Aubrey, she saw an expression she couldn't identify. It was as if Aubrey had never been complimented before. It was as if she didn't know her worth.

"Okay, I might cry," Aubrey mumbled.

"Noooo-!"

"No, no, it's just - you're being so nice to me," Aubrey assured. "I don't know what I did to deserve this."

"Me being nice to you? It's a basic principle of friendship, Bree," Stacie told her. "You shouldn't have to do anything to deserve to know what you're worth to someone."

Aubrey smiled at the spot on the carpet that she was staring at, lost in thought. "Thank you."

"I'm so wise," Stacie remarked jokingly, then cussed internally for almost ruining the moment. "Sorry."

Aubrey smiled faintly again, but her face changed quickly afterwards, to a sort of apprehension. "Stacie?"

Stacie looked at Aubrey, hoping she knew she already had all of her attention.

"Can I sleep in your bed again?"

"Yeah," Stacie replied. "You can sleep in my bed whenever you want."

They went to bed at around 12:30AM or so. Their nap had energised them, but they had let out enough silent emotion that both were ready to collapse. Stacie pulled Aubrey close after she climbed under the covers and placed a kiss on top of her head, vaguely knowing that she would not have done so if she wasn't so drained. What Stacie didn't know was why, in the dark and comfortable bedroom with Aubrey's head on her chest and her hands clinging to her side, she could feel tears sting behind her eyelids.

She must've started breathing weirdly, because Aubrey's hand flattened against her ribs. "Are you alright?" she whispered.

When Stacie didn't answer, Aubrey warned her to close her eyes as she reached over to turn on the lamp by the bed. Stacie felt ashamed. She didn't have anything to cry for.

Aubrey leaned up on her elbow to look at Stacie through the dimness. Their faces were really close. Aubrey looked blearily into her friend's teary eyes. "What's wrong?"

Stacie closed her eyes and breathed in for a second. "I really don't know."

"Are you sure?"

Stacie nodded. "I'm so glad you're here with me."

Aubrey kissed her nose softly. "Me too."

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @oh-no-momo! :)


End file.
